South Africa's Zuma Says Upgrades Will Add Jobs

By

Patrick McGroarty

Feb. 9, 2012 2:52 p.m. ET

JOHANNESBURG—South Africa's President Jacob Zuma on Thursday pledged that bold infrastructure upgrades would slash one of the continent's highest unemployment rates, in a speech aimed at countering criticism of his leadership and allaying social tensions that helped topple other African governments during last year's Arab spring.

In his annual state of the nation address, Mr. Zuma said new investments in South Africa's roads, railways and ports would create construction jobs and encourage miners and manufacturers to expand...